Cable, Dwight D. Eisenhower to Bernard Montgomery

ETO. L--11,512 ORIGINATORS FILE No. SHAEF MESSAGE FORM CALL CIRCUIT No. PRIORITY TRANSMISSION INSTRUCTIONS NR SPACES WITHIN HEAVY LINES FOR SIGNALS USE ONLY FROM ORIGINATOR DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN (A) SHAEF / MAIN /spa DEC 192030-A TO FOR ACTION EXFOR FOR FIELD MARSHAL MONTGOMERY TO (W) FOR INFORMATION (INFO) MESSAGE INSTRUCTIONS GR (REF. NO.) 5-71591 (CLASSIFICATION) POP URGENT HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM CONFERENCE WITH BRADLEY CMA PATTON AND DEVERS, PD perin 17 / PARA TO EXFOR FOR FIELD MARSHAL MONTGOMERY EYES ONLY PERSONAL FROM SV . EISENHOWER TOPSISC UNPAREN THE WHOLE FRONT SOUTH OF MOSELLE PASSES TO STRICT DEFENSE, IMMEDIATELY GIVING UP ALL PENETRATIONS ACROSS THE SAAR RIVER 11 PD DEVERS TAKES OVER MOST OF PRESENT THIRD ARMY FRONT PD, PATTON MOVES NORTH / WITH SIX DIVISIONS AND TAKING OVER, EIGHTH CORPS TEMPORARILY, WILL ORGANIZE MAJOR COUNTER BLOW WITH TARGET DATE OF TWENTY THIRD OR TWENTY FOURTH PD OUR WEAKEST SPOT IS IN DIRECTION OF NAMUR PD ENEMY IS EXPECTED TO ATTACK WITH ARMOR NEAR MONSCHAU TO BROADEN HIS PENETRATION AND MAY ATTACK WITH LESSER STRENGTH FROM TRIERS REGION PD HE ALSO MAY TRY TO ATTACK ON NORTH OF NINTH Mix / ARMY BUT YOU HAVE RESERVES CAPABLE OF DEALING WITH HIM THERE PD THE GENERAL / / PLAN IS TO PLUG THE HOLES IN THE NORTH AND LAUNCH COORDINATED ATTACK FROM THE SOUTH PD THE CONTENTS OF THIS TELEGRAM SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO FEWEST POSSIBLE / / PERSONS PD WARM PERSONAL THANKS FOR YOUR PROMPT ACTION / ACKNOWLED / DISTRIBUTION: COORDINATED WITH THIS MESSAGE MUST BE Precedence THI or TOR Opr. SC SENT IN CYPHER IF LIABLE DSC TO INTERCEPTION URGENT ORIGINATING DIVISION 192139 SGS SECRETARY GENERAL STAFF Gon strong INITIALS 6-5 NAME AND RANK TYPED. TEL. NO. TIME CLEARED Ger THIS MESSAGE MAY BE SENT IN CLEAR BY ANY CAPTAIN EMERICH 2929 DECLASSIPTERNS AUTHENTICATING SIGNATURE DOD DIR. 5200.9, SEPT. 27,1958 DATE 2/24/67 INITIALS NE BY RTS Fancar